The view through the eyepiece of a microscope as researchers use a sample of the cells to get a count to determine the number of cells cultivated from the cartilage from Kyle Figuray's malformed ear in Dr. Landis' lab in the University of Akron's Polymer Science building. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

Image 2 of 15

Kyle Figuray, 5, is reflected in a hallway mirror as he makes a face while recalling his day to his dad, Mark, at their home 27 days after Kyle's surgery to construct an ear. Kyle was born without an ear or an ear canal and had an ear made from cartilage from his ribs. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

Image 3 of 15

Pediatric plactric surgeon Dr. Ananth Murthy M.D. checks the sutures on Kyle Figuray's chest where the rib cartilage was taken for his ear during a doctor's visit a week after Figuray's reconstructive ear surgery. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

Image 4 of 15

Pediatric plactric surgeon Dr. Ananth Murthy M.D. unwraps the bandages from Kyle Figury's head as he starts his examination of the new ear during a doctor's visit a week after Figuray's reconstructive ear surgery. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

Kyle Figuray, 5, shows his drawing of his surgeon Dr. Muthy on the day before Kyle has surgery to construct an ear, at their home. Kyle was born without an ear or an ear canal and under went surgery to have an ear made from cartilage from his ribs. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

Image 7 of 15

Mark Shasti, a third year med student from NEOUCOM holds a container that has cells from the cartilage of Kyle Figuray's malformed ear in Dr. Landis' lab in the University of Akron's Polymer Science building. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

Kyle Figuray, 5, hugs his dad, Mark as they get ready for dinner at home 27 days after his surgery to construct an ear. Kyle was born without an ear or an ear canal and had an ear made from cartilage from his ribs. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

Image 10 of 15

Jessica Kemppainen, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow, holds a polymer ear scaffold similar to the one that they are using to seed the cartilage cell's of Kyle Figuray on in Dr. Landis' lab in the University of Akron's Polymer Science building. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

Image 11 of 15

Jessica Kemppainen, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow, examines th cells from the cartilage of Kyle Figuray's malformed ear as she gets geady to do a cell count in Dr. Landis' lab in the University of Akron's Polymer Science building. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

Image 12 of 15

Dr. William Landis, the G. Stafford Whitby endowed chair in polymer science at the University of Akron, talks about the research using the cartilage from Kyle Figuray malformed ear in his lab in the Polymer Science building. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

Image 13 of 15

Jessica Kemppainen, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow, explains how they grow and cultivate cells from the cartilage of Kyle Figuray's malformed ear as she gets geady to do a cell count in Dr. Landis' lab in the University of Akron's Polymer Science building. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

Image 14 of 15

Mark Shasti, a third year med student from NEOUCOM holds a vial that has cells from the cartilage of Kyle Figuray's malformed ear in Dr. Landis' lab in the University of Akron's Polymer Science building. The small cloudy area at the bottom tip of the container are the cells. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

Image 15 of 15

Kyle Figuray, 5, ponders a question about his day from his parents during dinner at their home . Kyle was born without an ear or an ear canal and had an ear made from cartilage from his ribs. (Mike Cardew/Akron Beacon Journal)

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